battery keeps dieing

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SRT_DSTRHOLC

SRT_DSTRHOLC

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dont even know where to start....Its a new battery. I believe the alt. is hooked up correctly. I bypassed the Amp gauge, but still dead
 
check for a draw on the battery with the key off, unhook the postive cable from the battery. use a multimeter hooked to the positive post on the battery and the negative multimeter lead hooked to the postive battery cable with the key off, set multimeter to the amps setting.
There should be less than a 10 mA draw on the battery DO NOT try to turn it over as you will fry the multimeter, if there is more of a current draw then 10 mA start pulling fuses until you find the one causing the problem. then its time to do so wire tracing. If you don't find the draw by pulling fuses check unfused items such as starter relay, alternator and other items like these that have power all the time. also check with the multimeter that the alternator is putting out more than 12.6 volts at all time if it isn't its not doing its job

hope this helps
 
Good info 66Val. If you can jump start it and get it started, disconnect the positive cable. If the engine stays running, the alternator is putting out some power. You either have a bad battery, a bad alternator, or a short,draw, or a wiring problem. If you don't have a multimeter do you have a test light? Connect test light between the positive post and the positive clamp. If the light is lit you have a draw that is running your battery down. If the light is bright do your multimeter a favor and don't use it to test amps. It will blow the internal fuse or worse. If the light is bright and you feel the need to find out how many amps it's drawing, get a inductive pickup amp clamp to test. 66Val was right on when he suggested pulling fuses one at a time to isolate the circuit that is causing the draw. Once you figure which circuit is causing the draw you can unplug components in that circuit to isolate the cause of the draw. There are still variables when you diagnose electrical but these suggestions are a start. Pretty hard to diagnose over the net. Hope this helps. toolmanmike
 
I believe you can do the same with the negative post on the battery and negative terminal unhooked with out the spark... atleast it worked for me. I used a test light .... the light should be very dim not bright.
 
i have msd so if i unhook the pos cable ignition is gone also
 
There you go. I learned something today. I've never used a MSD. Toolman
 
Dumb question but are you sure your battery is good? Did the old battery keep dying? I took my Optima Red Top to Batteries Plus because I just couldnt get it to keep any kind of charge either by putting it on my charger or driving it. It would be dead in a day or two. They put it on there slow charger and cycled it for about 3 days and it's top notch now (came up to 95%)...just a thought if you find that theres not something drawing on it elswhere. Batteries + did it free of charge too...
 
Beatnik said:
Dumb question but are you sure your battery is good? Did the old battery keep dying? I took my Optima Red Top to Batteries Plus because I just couldnt get it to keep any kind of charge either by putting it on my charger or driving it. It would be dead in a day or two. They put it on there slow charger and cycled it for about 3 days and it's top notch now (came up to 95%)...just a thought if you find that theres not something drawing on it elswhere. Batteries + did it free of charge too...
Click to expand...

should be the last one was new it died took it in then they gave me this one and now it died
 
74Burntorange said:
should be the last one was new it died took it in then they gave me this one and now it died
Click to expand...

Charge the battery while unhooked from the car. Let it set for the same period you are saying it takes for it to die. Then hook it up and see what happens. If it dies without being hooked up you have another bad battery.
 
also im replacing the voltage regulator too see if that does anything
 
ok will do, also I replaced the battery with a new one for free... Im going to run it and if it happens again im figuring either alt. or something isnt hooked up too where its charging the battery, but the thing is when I take the old battery in to have it charged they call and say its a bad battery...what can be killing a cell in the battery?
 
If the battery keeps dying you're either not charging properly or you are pulling current when you think everything is off. I had a similar problem a few years ago and one night I went out to the car and noticed the glove box lamp was on. It turns out the switch was bad. You can diagnose it easily with an ammeter. Pull either cable from the battery and put your meter in series to see if you're pulling any current. It should read zero amps unless you have a clock or radio needing milliamps of current to keep something alive. I do agree with others above to start pulling fuses to isolate the circuit if you do have a current draw.
 
Yup check the glove box lite, trunk lite, underhood lite, center console lite. If the battery goes dead quickly it is probably something else. I test these lites by putting a charger on the battery, quickly opening the suspected compartment, and seeing how hot the bulb is. You can be burned if not careful, but it's better than frying electrical stuff out.
 
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